D&D 5E Do you have a personal Players Handbook?

Lanliss · May 12, 2017

No, not the default PHB. I mean a custom PHB with your own rules and world information. I am asking because I plan on making my own. It will have a Chapter for how my world is different from the default assumptions, contain my homebrew races/classes and the official or 3pp options I allow. The second part will be a total World guide, similar to the overview of the Planes in the DMG.

If yop have done this, what are some things you kept in mind during the process? Did you try to keep house rules down to a certain page count? What formatting or order did you use for it? Did you try different formats, and pick a preferred style (Spiral bound, PDF, Pile of notebooks)?

Rya.Reisender · May 12, 2017

No, I don't even have the actual PHB. I use basic rules and adventure supplements.

I do keep a list of important clarifications and hints for the players, though. Other than that, whenever a rule question comes up I research online.

Kalshane · May 12, 2017

Back in the day I used to print out my house rules, the world map and world information, put them all in plastic sleeves and then place those into a three-ring binder that I left on the table during sessions.

Nowadays I just use a Google Drive.

schnee · May 12, 2017

We have a Slack that handles all the stuff outside the campaign - with different channels for General, Character Backstories, Story Progress, Sessions, Links...

We're really vanilla, so the few house rules we have are handled in a few DM-to-DM chats.

jgsugden · May 12, 2017

I have a rule doc that supplements the PHB and a series of artwork from the Internet that gives players a good idea of what their PCs are seeing.

Rod Staffwand · May 12, 2017

I tend to put together short orientation guides for longer term campaigns that can be thought of as PHBs. I use OpenOffice and export to pdf. That way I can email them to players or print as needed. I don't tend to incorporate much art, maybe a cover picture if there's one that captures the feel of the world and I'll put in an atlas if I think it'll be worth it.

For structure, I'd go with:

1. Introduction. Basic premise of the campaign and setting, specifically if you're changing core assumptions. Here's also a good place to mention your DMing and campaign styles (epic-Tolkein and story-driver, fantasy Vietnam, etc.) so incoming players know what to expect.

3. Setting Information. This would be stuff that the PCs would know about the world and the area they grew up in. It should serve mostly as a primer and reference book. Keep it brief. Many players will not bother with it in the slightest.

4. New or altered character options. Presented in the same order as the Player's Handbook.

5. New or altered mechanics. Presented in the same order as the Player's Handbook. I think its important to keep the size of this section down. A page or two of bullet points is better than 40 pages of dense text written in legalese as its easier to refer to in play. You may also want to include reasons for your changes to help get everyone on the same page with what you're doing.

Also, its vitally important that your Player's Handbook doesn't immediately fall apart.

iserith · May 12, 2017

Since you play in my game, you know how I do it - which is to just make stuff up as I go (for the most part), building on what the players give me and what has already been established.

I don't have a lot of faith that players will read anything I put together in terms of a setting guide, so I try to keep that to a minimum. Also, it saves me the work!

robus · May 12, 2017

I'm making one for my Curse of Innistrad campaign. Some general info on the setting, names, backgrounds, acceptable classes (mining A touch of class for new options - want to keep it low magic on the PC side for thematic reasons), firearms and wounds and healing.

monsmord · May 12, 2017

iserith said:
I don't have a lot of faith that players will read anything I put together in terms of a setting guide...

Yep. Yet I do it every time. Handouts and doc are my default for any homebrew setting or house rules. It's objectively true that I spend waaaay too much time on it, including formatting, fonts, images, borders, etc - as if I'm preparing for publication. My (old) group mostly found it hilarious rather than appreciating the effort. Then they'd ask me questions rather than read it.

My advice, FWIW, is that if you love doing it for your own sake, or if it turns your group into intensely invested gaming machines, do it. If neither, definitely keep it minimal - avoid flavor text, use default formatting, shorthand it, and use the time you save to generate more content for your players or brush up on obscure or complex rules that give you headaches.

Istbor · May 12, 2017

Lanliss said:
No, not the default PHB. I mean a custom PHB with your own rules and world information. I am asking because I plan on making my own. It will have a Chapter for how my world is different from the default assumptions, contain my homebrew races/classes and the official or 3pp options I allow. The second part will be a total World guide, similar to the overview of the Planes in the DMG.

If yop have done this, what are some things you kept in mind during the process? Did you try to keep house rules down to a certain page count? What formatting or order did you use for it? Did you try different formats, and pick a preferred style (Spiral bound, PDF, Pile of notebooks)?

Yes. I do of sorts. It has a lot of what you mention you hope to put into yours. It started out as my 'campaign bible' a collection of thoughts, descriptive blocks and information regarding the world I was building. (Iterria)

I guess my recommendations depend on what kind of game you play. Especially concerning important figures and parts/cultures of the world. For mine, I like to allow my players the ability to help fill the world with details. I have the general regions mapped, and a brief description of what can be found there and the atmosphere experienced, but it is up to the players to fill it to a level of detail or build that lore for it. The same is said for NPCs and for the different cultures run into. A lot of it is play by ear and make it up as I go.

Really, after a few different adventure arcs and sessions, my PHB and world really started to come together.